Feared throughout the galaxy, stormtroopers are elite shock troops deployed in support of both ground and the imperial fleet. Stormtroopers are unquestionably loyal to the Empire, and their unshakable military discipline has led to speculation that they may be the result of accelerated Imperial cloning experiments, although this has never been confirmed.

The armored spacesuits worn by standard stormtroopers give them the ability to operate in almost tiny environment and offer limited protection from blaster fire. The vihite outer shell consists of 18 snap-tooether pieces whichform an anti-blaster cocoon, and includes a self-contained power source. Underneath this armor is a black, two piece temperature-controlled body glove. The protective helmets feature polarized lenses and communication units that allow troopers to maintain communication with each other and with their commanders. Also outfitted to the armor is a compartmentalized utility belt, which houses a spare comlink, rations and batteries, specialized survival equipment. Standard issue weapons include hand blasters and blaster cannons, grenades, mini proton torpedoes and laser cutting devices- easily the most fearsome personal arsenal in all the Empire.

The following texts come from "A Guide to the Star Wars Universe" second edition by Bill Slavicsek from Del Rey book

Entry is on pages 227-228 with a drawing of an Imperial Royal Guard

Imperial Royal Guard

The Imperial Royal Guard is a unit of specially selected Imperial soldiers who serve as the Emperor's personal guards. Only the most promising soldiers who fall within the required size, strength, intelligence, and loyalty ranges are chosen for this duty. They are trained in the use of a wide range of weapons and unarmed combat styles, and conditioned to obey the Emperor's will and protect him with their very lives. Imperial Royal Guards wear flowing red robes, helmets, and full body armor. [RJ]

Entry is on page 406

Snowtrooper

A snowtrooper is the name applied to specialized stormtroopers trained and equipped to operate in frozen conditions. [SWSB]

Entry is on pages 418-420

Stormtrooper

The Imperial shock troops who are totally loyal to the Emperor are called stormtroopers. Unlike regular Imperial soldiers, stormtroopers wear white-and-black armored spacesuits over black body gloves. They are deployed to neutralize resistance to the New Order, and placed aboard Imperial vessels to be used as first-strike forces and to make sure lower officers stay true to the Emperor's vision. Trained to obey orders, stormtroopers will rush into combat without a thought for their own safety. If the Emperor issues an order, stormtroopers will drop everything else to obey it. Their armored spacesuits provide limited protection against blaster fire. The eighteen pieces that make up the outer shell create an enclosed, self-sustaining environment. The two-piece body glove controls body temperature. Stormtrooper officers wear shoulder poltroons. [SW, ESB, RJ]

Totally loyal to the Empire, stormtroopers cannot be bribed, seduced, or blackmailed into betraying their Emperor. They live in a totally disciplined, totally militaristic world where obedience is paramount and the will of the Emperor is absolute. In addition to the main stormtrooper legions, a number of special units have been assembled to operate on the varied worlds and climates of the Empire. To deal with problems on ice-covered worlds, cold-assault troopers are elite frozen-environment combatants. Also called snowtroopers, these Imperial soldiers wear the basic white-and-black armor equipped with powerful heating and personal environment units, terrain-grip boots, and breathing masks.

Second only to the Royal Guard, the elite zero-g stormtroopers, or spacetroopers, are trained to operate exclusively in space. When the Empire needs to launch an assault on a spacefaring vessel, spacetroopers are sent in to do the job. Each trooper wears full body armor capable of withstanding the rigors of hard vacuum. This armor functions as a personal spacecraft and attack vehicle. With sensor arrays, magnetic couplers for adhering to ships, repulsorlift propulsion units, and wide assortment of weaponry, spacetroopers armor makes these troopers fearsome to behold. Two meter tall and twice as wide as normal a stormtrooper, spacetroopers can unleash a devastating barrage on their targets. Concussion, gas, and stun grenades, miniature proton torpedoes, blaster cannons, and laser cutters are standard ordnance. Specially designed assault shuttles carry spacetroopers into combat. [SWSB, HE, HESB]

Scout troopers are lightly armored, highly mobile stormtroopers who are usually assigned to Imperial garrisons. They use speeder bikes to patrol perimeters, perform reconnaissance missions, and scout enemy locations. To assist them when traveling at the high speeds speeder bikes reach, scout troopers wear specialized helmets equipped with built-in macrobinocular viewplates and sensor arrays. These feed into computers that analyze terrain features instantaneously to help the scouts navigate at high speeds. They also map the areas they explore, producing a continuous record of each mission they participate in. Scout troopers wear lightweight armor and padding over a black body glove, and carry small automatic blasters. [SWSB]